Bethany Hospital owners defying state, critics say

August 17, 2006|By Ray Quintanilla, Tribune staff reporter.

Two months after a state health-care oversight board prevented Advocate Bethany Hospital from closing its obstetrics and gynecology unit and another one serving psychiatric patients, a Chicago alderman and others allege the facility is referring people seeking these services to other hospitals.

The action, they say, has essentially emptied both units of patients and undercuts the Illinois Health Facilities Planning Board's ruling in June to keep the units open.

"It's empty because it doesn't exist anymore," said Ald. Ed Smith (28th) referring to Bethany's OB-GYN and mental-health care units. "It's arrogance on the part of Advocate. They don't respect the community or the health authority."

A spokesman for Oak Brook-based Advocate Health Care said the two units remain open and available for service. But, officials added, it's up to a woman and her doctor to decide together where a baby will be delivered.

It's not the hospital's decision unless a woman arrives in the emergency room in labor, said Tony Mitchell, a spokesman for Advocate Health Care, the largest health-care provider in the state.

"We have not delivered a baby in the obstetrics unit in months," Mitchell said. Meanwhile, he added, the mental health unit is down to a handful of patients.

Linda Williams, 52, of the 1500 block of South Drake Avenue, said she inquired at least twice in recent weeks--once in person--about substance-abuse care the hospital's mental health staff had once administered. Both times, she added, she was told services were not available.

Bethany officials said the substance-abuse program, which was run by an outside contractor, was discontinued in March. Advocate Health Care has proposed transforming Bethany Hospital, 3435 W. Van Buren St., into a long-term care facility. The health facilities planning board rejected Advocate's proposal to close the two units as part of its transformation plan, which was brought before the board in June.